1000 days in captivity
By Susan Ople
This is the story of 31-year old seafarer Gerald Gonzales from Iloilo City. He holds the record for being the longest held Filipino hostage in Somalia. Gerald boarded MV Iceberg 1, a cargo ship, way back in 2009 for a 9-month stint as an oiler (all-around shipmate) with a salary of $350. His contract was to expire on April 12, 2010. But Gerald’s ship was hijacked by Somali pirates on March 29, 2010.
